Inspiring climate action without inducing climate despair

As we learn more about the environmental crisis on our doorstep, effective and balanced teaching about it must be in place. For example, the latest Emissions Gap Report from the United Nations Environment Programme shows that adhering to nationally determined contributions to reducing global emissions puts the world on a trajectory to reach 3·2°C by 2100; countries' commitments would have to be five times larger to limit global warming to 1·5°C above pre-industrial times.1 This sobering realisation from the Emissions Gap Report 2019 is often sufficient to stimulate university students' interest during lectures on climate change and health.